New light at the Vittoriano in Rome. The flagpole by Gaetano Vannicola, with its monumental eagle, and the winged Victory by Edoardo Rubino shine again – Carlo Franza’s blog

The results of the first phase of the restoration of the gilded bronze elements of the Monument to Vittorio Emanuele II are revealed. The restoration of the sculptures on the main front will be completed in October, giving citizens and tourists back the full beauty of a heritage that is unique in the world.

Rome, 21 August 2024 – In the context of the major restoration project of the Vittoriano sculptures promoted by VIVEdirected by Edith Gabrielli, the left flagpole designed by Gaetano Vannicola and the Winged Victory by Edoardo Rubino. The golden finish of the bronze elements thus shines again in all its magnificence.foreseen in the project of Giuseppe Sacconi, the architect of the monument.

Directed by Edith Gabrielli and executed by Susanna Sarmati, the restoration project – carried out thanks to the contribution of Bvlgari – aims to guarantee the conservation and restore full legibility of the sculptures on the main façade of the famous monument dedicated to Vittorio Emanuele II, the first king of Italy, created at the beginning of the twentieth century by some of the most important artists on the national scene.

The dismantling of the scaffolding of the left mast will take the whole week and will end with the unveiling of the Victory winged by the Turin sculptor Edoardo Rubino: the Italian flag will thus be able to fly again on the monument.

The flagpole has a bell-shaped base decorated with festoons and a Roman eagle at the top, both in gilded bronze; the Winged Victory which hovers over the prow of a Roman ship, just below, is also in gilded bronzein calibrated agreement with the white of the Botticino, characteristic of the Vittoriano.

“In the project by architect Giuseppe Sacconi, the Vittoriano was striking for its chromatic balance between the whiteness of the Botticino and the gilded finish of the bronze sculptures and ornaments. The existing documentation, including a drawing from February 1888, and the analyses conducted directly on the works speak clearly in this sense. However, the degradation caused by the years, pollution and atmospheric agents had by then hidden this finish from view. In full compliance with the methodological principles of Italian restoration, we decided to reintegrate the image conceived by Sacconi at the time, restoring full legibility to the original gilding. Today everyone can see the first results of this work in the left flagpole. In a few weeks, by October, we will complete the restoration of the second flagpole and of the two monumental groups of The Thought and L’Azione, by Giulio Monteverde and Francesco Jerace respectively. I invite everyone to take advantage of the free guided tours during this period that, in the spirit of the “open construction site”, allow you to climb onto the scaffolding and observe the restorers at work. In recent months, many have done so, including Carla, a kind and dynamic 78-year-old lady”, he says Edith GabrielliDirector of VIVE-Vittoriano and Palazzo Venezia.

The restoration revealed that the gold finishes were covered due to the oxidation process of the bronze.especially on corners and undercuts, and of repainting in lemon yellow that had been applied over time. It was thus possible to bring out the golden finish hidden by oxidation deposits and previous interventions.

To do the work a team of expert restorers, among the Italian excellences in the sector who, thanks to the “open” construction site method – built with a system of transparent scaffolding – can be admired by citizens and tourists during all phases of work.

Restoration work continues on the fountain Adriatic Sea by Emilio Quadrelli, on the gilded bronze sculptures depicting The Thought by Giulio Monteverde and The Action by Francesco Jerace. From next week the scaffolding will be set up on the right mast with the Victory winged by Edoardo De Albertis. The entire intervention is expected to be completed by the end of October.

To discover the techniques up close and learn about the conservation problems of the sculptures and the solutions adopted, VIVE – Vittoriano and Palazzo Venezia has promoted a series of guided tours since the beginning of the works where it is possible to climb onto the scaffolding and check the progress of the intervention. An initiative that has met with great success by the public and which includes a next appointment on September 12, 2024 at 10.00in line with the continuous and fruitful dialogue that the Institute has always pursued with its community.

Visits to the restoration site are free and reserved for a maximum of 15 people per shift by reservation by sending a request to: [email protected]

Carlo Franza